


The Art of Beginning Again

by Kateera



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Blind Date, Emotions, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Wyatt is a jerk, garcy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-05-20 02:04:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14885562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateera/pseuds/Kateera
Summary: Being pressured into a blind date by their friends and family, Garcia and Lucy are sure they will hate every minute of the experience. Then they meet.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New month, new fandom! I had this bug bouncing around my head and I had to get it down. Please go easy on my as I don't currently have a beta reader for these stories.
> 
> Check me out on [tumblr](http://kateera.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/kateera_) to say hi and please, flail at me about these time traveling soulmates!

 

 

She’s going to need a rescue, she’s certain of it.

Amy might be her sister and her best friend, but her job consists of writing about conspiracy theory wackos, cult leaders, and the occasional political activist. There is no way that a friend of hers from work would be someone Lucy could date. Ever.

_ This is so pathetic, why did I say yes? _

That part isn’t actually a secret. It’s been months since her ex sat her down and told her that while he cared about her, his wife (who he swore wanted a divorce) now wanted him back. She’s been through the late night wallowing, the screaming about how men suck, and the acceptance that he’s not coming back. Amy says getting back into the dating game is a sure-fire way to get Wyatt off her mind and without pausing to let Lucy make up her mind, talks about this guy she works with who’d be perfect.

_ Garcia Flynn. _

She knows his name and she knows he helps Amy with her writing research, but her sister refuses to share any other details, stating that they would need things to talk about.

_ If he even shows. _

The waiter stops at the table and refills her water glass. “Are you sure you don’t want to order anything?”

“I’m waiting on someone, thanks.” Lucy sips her water as the waiter walks away, no doubt to gossip about the pathetic woman at table 5 (or 6 or 10, whatever).

Glancing at her watch, she wonders why she’s still here, when whoever Amy set her up with is now ten minutes late.

_ Maybe he realized that blind dates are so not cool. _

She’s grabbing her purse and straightening her skirt and ready to walk out when a tall dark haired man walks into the restaurant, shaking water from his coat and brushing mud from his pants. He chats with the host as she takes his coat and points in the direction of Lucy’s table.

_ Fuck _ .

Lucy’s mind isn’t capable of forming any other word as the man turns and spots her and while she’s used to Amy’s friends being relatively attractive, this man stops her in her tracks so she can stare. He’s chiseled and lean and his face has enough lines that she can tell he’s a fan of laughter.  She’s able to take another sip of water and collect her scattered mental capacities before he reaches the table and gives her small smile.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he says and Lucy almost shivers out of her skin at his accented voice. “You’re Lucy, right?”

She nods and tries to make her mouth work, but for the moment, the nod is the best she’s got.

He doesn’t seem to notice. “Would you mind waiting just a moment more for me to clean up?”

“What happened?” Lucy congratulates herself on speaking.

His smile widens and he wipes a hand through his hair. “The car in front of me spun out in the rain. I got out to check if they were alright, and proceeded to get very wet and very muddy.” He looks down at his dark suit and shakes his head. “I’m sorry for not calling, but Amy didn’t give me your number.”

_ Of course not. We’d have been able to call and cancel. _

Reaching down and picking up her phone, Lucy points with her other hand towards the bathrooms. “Go, I’ll keep myself entertained.” She’s smiling now and he smiles back, a little uncertain, but she’s still charmed.

As he walks away, she remembers her manners. “Oh, would you like me to order you a drink?”

His smile lights up the room. “Vodka tonic, if you please.”

Lucy is sure he’s taking up more space than he requires as he moves through the crowd. Other patrons shift to accommodate his presence as he walks by. The instant he disappears into the restroom, Lucy texts Amy.

**Lucy: I’m going to kill you when I get home.**

**Amy: What? What happened?**

**Lucy: He just got here, covered in mud cause he was helping people in a car crash.**

**Amy: See? I told you he was perfect for you!**

**Lucy: All I see is a man who thought up a good excuse for being late.**

**Amy: You’re not even giving him a chance! And explain the mud.**

**Lucy: Fine. So he’s nice and tall and sexy and you could have mentioned the accent.**

**Lucy: What’s wrong with him?**

**Amy: Nothing! God, you’re such a drama queen.**

**Lucy: I’m a realist. There has to be something wrong with him.**

**Amy: Go have your date and be nice. I promise he’s not an ax murderer and he doesn’t think Bigfoot is behind 9/11.**

**Lucy: I hate you.**

**Amy: Hate you too.**

She puts away her phone and sighs into her hands. There has to be something wrong with a man who’s that attractive and apparently that kind… maybe he’s lying about the rescue. Her walls come back up, but then she looks at her phone and sighs. For all of Amy’s faults, she really does love her and the most she can do is give this Garcia Flynn a chance. Flagging down the waiter, she orders his vodka tonic and a white wine for herself then opens up Trivia Crack on her phone and waits for him to return.

 

~

 

Garcia looks in the mirror and tries to fix the disaster that is his hair. It’s flopped in his face, limp and dripping, every bit of product washed away in the rain. He hates that he’s worried about what he looks like.

_ Perfect first impression, you utter idiot. _

He’d agreed to this date because Jiya and Amy wouldn’t stop asking about his love life and Rufus seemed determined to set him up with every woman who worked at Mason Industries. He knows they mean well, that they want to give him a measure of happiness, but the constant barrage has been trying his patience. At last he breaks and agrees to this one date, one night with another human being not paying for his security services, before he can retreat back into his work without interruption. 

On his way to the restaurant, the car in front of him spins out of control and he stops to help, pushing the car away from the rail so that the passenger can climb out. A part of him thinks that there’s no way he’ll make it to Gorvaine’s before his mystery date decides to leave and that part of him is a relieved at the thought. There’s a passing patrol car who dismisses him within a few minutes of arriving and even though he’s a mess, he makes it to the restaurant only ten minutes late. 

He’d expected someone... different. He knew Amy Preston enough to have a few assumptions as to her caliber of friends and Lucy didn’t fit the image he’d built in his head. In a black and red retro cocktail dress with her shiny dark curls and bright crimson lipstick, she looks more like an old time movie star than someone who associates with the tin-foil hat crowd.

He wants to bolt for the door, cause a distraction, and disappear back to his one bedroom apartment where a beautiful woman isn’t currently waiting for him to come back to the table and make conversation. The catch is that as soon as he comes back, Rufus and Jiya will corner him and make him spill the whole tale and it’s not worth the disappointed looks from his friends if he admits he ran.

_ Once more into the breach. _

Cleaning his face, brushing as much mud to the floor as he can, and taking off his suit jacket because he decides it’s a lost cause, Garcia takes a breath and walks back into the main room of the restaurant.

She’s still sitting there, biting at her lips in what must be a nervous habit, and he’s struck by how utterly lovely she is in the dim light. Her patterned dress sets off the pale tone of her skin and her hair falls in soft dark curls over her shoulder.

_ Keep breathing and don’t be an asshole. _

Giving himself a mental pep talk, Garcia tucks his hands in his pockets, his coat draped across his arm as he makes his way back to the table. She’s picked up her phone and is typing something on it as he approaches.

“I am sorry about that,” he says as he lays his ruined coat across the back of the chair and sits down. “It’s very nice to meet you, Lucy.”

She smiles, puts down her phone, and picks up her glass of wine. “Nice to meet you too, Garcia.” As soon as she starts talking, she looks down at the table and he wonders at her shy demeanor.

“I hope you didn’t have to wait long.” He’s not sure he should actually drink the alcohol in front of him, but it’s something to do with his hands so he holds onto the glass like a lifeline. “I’m usually very punctual.”

She looks back up at him and shakes her head with a smile. “It’s fine, I accept your heroic excuse.”

He raises his glass to her, unsure how to handle the word “heroic”. He doesn’t have to respond because she huffs and leans forward with her elbows on the table.

“Alright, how did my sister convince you to go on a blind date? What does she have on you?”

He’s startled by the revelation that she’s Amy’s sister, but before he can comment, the waiter returns to take their order. While Lucy orders a smoked salmon pasta dish, he gives the menu a swift glance and then requests the prime rib, medium rare, with a side of rice, his normal order when he has no time to peruse a menu. She’s smiling into her water glass by the time the waiter walks away.

“What?” He asks, unsure how to start the conversation again. It’s been years since he’s been on a date, much less a first date.

“Nothing, just, I think our waiter is as surprised by you as I am. I wasn’t sure if anyone was going to walk through that door.” She’s fiddling with her napkin and it’s endearing and he wonders if she’s actually shy or if there’s something about him that’s making her squirm.

_ Hey, don’t be an asshole, remember? _

“So you were surprised?” He takes a sip of his drink and leans back in his chair. “Good or bad?”

She laughs and the sound is bright and happy. “Good surprise, I promise.”

They both chuckle and Garcia coughs as he watches her face light up, like it was built to create the perfect smile every time.

“But seriously, what in the world does my sister have on you to convince you to come meet a complete stranger?” Lucy is still looking at him expectantly and Garcia finds himself charmed by her tenacity.

He shrugs and looks down at the table, noting the off center silverware and the water marks on his spoon. “I wasn’t aware she was your sister. She only told me that she had a friend I should meet.” He raises his eyebrows. “She’s very persistent. It was either give in or be hounded constantly by her and my neighbors that I need to get a life.”

 

~

 

Lucy loves the way his vocal tone modulates to a whisper in the quiet space of the restaurant and she hates that she’s always been a sucker for a man with a good voice. She catches herself looking away again and keeps her eyes on his face, regardless of the prickling heat in her chest.

“Yeah, I think Amy got more than her fair share of the Preston stubborn gene.” She concentrates on a space behind his left ear. “I didn’t have the strength to say no either.”

Garcia tips his drink at her. “So, we’ve established that we are both here under duress. Do you have your escape route mapped out?”

Lucy snorts. “My friend Denise is going to call in a couple of minutes and proclaim an emergency that means I have to leave.” She watches humor dance in his dark eyes and takes a deep breath. “What about you?"

“I have a timer set on my phone that sounds like a phone call coming in. I’d answer, be very upset, and then tell you I need to leave.” He’s spinning his drink around and watching the liquid slosh against the sides. “It is a bit telling that you at least have a person willing to call for you.”

As if on cue, Lucy’s phone starts ringing and she looks down to see Denise’s number on the screen. He’s smiling at her, a self-deprecating smirk that twists something in her stomach and makes it hard to breathe.

“Go on,” he says. “I won’t be offended.”

She answers the phone and Denise starts rambling about her mother falling and not being able to get up and she needs Lucy right away.

Lucy looks at Garcia as she answers. “Okay, stop panicking. I’m on a date right now. I can come over when I’m done.”

There’s a moment of silence and then Denise gives a loud whooping sound, loud enough that Lucy knows Garcia can hear it because she can see the lines around his eyes tighten as he tries to hold in his laughter.

“I’m going to tell Michelle right now, oh this is exciting!” There are clapping sounds on the other end of the line and Lucy rolls her eyes.

“I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“You better. Bye babe,” Denise says the last words with a fond laugh.

Lucy hangs up the phone and Garcia leans forward. “Sticking it out then?”

“For now.” She ducks her head and tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. “At this point it all hinges on your table manners.”

He chuckles and winks at her and Lucy forgives Amy for her meddling ways.

 

~

 

The date is perfect, even if the waiter keeps flirting with the host instead of keeping track of their water goblets and the food takes so long to come out that they finish off two platters of the complimentary bread.

Lucy is mesmerizing and Garcia takes every chance he can to make her laugh. Every detail he learns, from her strained relationship with her exacting mother, to her fight to get ahead as a history professor, is fascinating and impressive.

_ How is this happening right now? _

He came here with every intention of ditching as soon as possible, regardless of who he might be meeting, because he’s been through heartache and he’s still not sure he’s ready for the dating world. Lucy is such a pleasant surprise that he finds himself hoping the night never ends. When the alarm on his phone rings, he shuts it off without looking and waves for her to continue speaking.

“Of course, I’m the clumsiest person on the planet, so i’m trying to sneak into my class without being seen and I trip on my shoelace and go tumbling down the stairs.” She’s telling a story from her college days and it’s charming that she can’t seem to stop talking. “My professor thought someone pushed me so I didn’t get in trouble for being late, just a series of bruises that meant no skirts for a while.” She stops and looks at him with a mortified expression. “I’m so sorry, I’ve been rambling for so long. You just gotta give me the cut off signal and I’ll stop.”

“It’s alright,” he says, smiling at her and watching her face flush. “In fact, it’s more than alright, it’s delightful.” He leans in closer. “I haven’t had to listen to a single Star Wars story all night.”

Her relieved smile tells him more than she knows about how often the people in her life tell her to stop talking. He wants to find them and punch them. Her excitement about everything from history to tacos is adorable.

“Who talks to you about Star Wars?” She’s giving him her undivided attention and he admits to himself that it sends the butterflies in his stomach into a frenzy.

“I’ve got neighbors, who are great, don’t get me wrong, but they’re both a little, how you do you put it? Giant geeks?”

Lucy gives a little giggle and he loses his train of thought for a moment, taking a sip of water to refocus on his story.

He clears his throat before he continues, trying to keep his voice steady under Lucy’s curious gaze. “They cornered me at the mailbox one day and invited me over for dinner and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Sounds like they know my sister.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Garcia says, his lips twitching as he tries not to smirk. “Anyway, dinner was fine, but they start arguing about Star Wars versus Star Trek and of course, I have no opinion on this, but they keep asking and now Rufus thinks I hate Star Wars and won’t stop trying to convert me.” He puts air quotes around the words “convert me”, grinning at her inability to hide her amusement.

“You poor man,” Lucy says, shaking her head. “I guess you have to move now.”

“I don’t know, they pushed me to come meet you.” He’s blushing as he speaks, but he keeps going and even manages a wink. “I might have to send them a thank you basket.”

Her cheeks flush at his words and she looks down at her lap. She seems uncomfortable with the compliment and he doesn’t want to press so he flags down the waiter and then turns back to her.

“Dessert?”

She nods enthusiastically and Garcia asks the waiter for the dessert menu, hoping that there will be something on it not drenched in sugar. Lucy asks for chocolate cake, he orders the bread pudding, and they are left alone again. There is a moment of silence, neither of them sure what to say next.

“So,” Lucy says, drawing out the “o” sound like she’s thinking. “Is there a reason you’re so against dating? I mean, have you seen you?” She gestures towards him and his ears burn with the force of his blush.

He swallows hard and looks down at the table, not sure if he should tell the truth or brush off the question with a joke. In the end, it's the honest curiosity in her face that makes up his mind.

Garcia can feel his hands shaking. “I, uh, about two years ago, I lost my wife and child in a car accident.” He looks up and smiles at the look of horror on Lucy’s face. “It’s alright, you didn’t know.”

“But that was really insensitive of me,” Lucy says, biting her lip.

“It took me a while to get past it,” Garcia says, not really looking at her, but at a spot on the wall behind her. “Rufus and Jiya have a lot to do with that, which is why when they pushed me to do this, I didn’t have the heart to say no.”

She sits for a moment before she leans forward and puts a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

“Thank you.” He’s never sure how to answer that kind of comment.

“I’m glad you said yes though.” She’s giving him a small smile. “Maybe Rufus and Jiya will get two baskets.”

He tilts his head, burying the pain of the past and refocusing on the present. “What about Amy?”

“She’s my pain in the ass little sister who doesn’t need any more accolades.” Her fiercely determined face makes him laugh and he feels the mood shift back to the previous merriment.

 

~

 

“My ex left me to get back together with his wife,” Lucy says without preamble. “We’d been talking about getting a place together, taking a vacation once I made tenure. Then he comes to my apartment and tells me that his estranged wife called him out of the blue and wants to try again.”

She knows it’s not a contest, that being blindsided by a breakup isn’t the same thing as losing a family, but she can’t stay silent about her own pain when he’d been so open about his.

He scoffs. “I’ve only known you for an evening, but I can’t imagine a man that idiotic.” His answer is sweet and it’s only because she’s looking at him that she believes he means what he says.

_ Where did you come from, you frustratingly beautiful man? _

She’s blushing again and she hides her face behind her hands because she doesn't know what to say to that kind of declaration. “She was his wife. In the end, I suppose it was the right thing to do.” 

Her hands are twisting the tablecloth and she decides that mangling the table setting isn’t the best way to show that she’s over it so she huffs and picks up her fork. “Enough about that. I know you work with my sister occasionally, what else do you do?”

He hums and picks up his own fork, poking at the sauce drenched dessert in front of him. “Private security mostly. Rufus gets me temporary work at Mason Industries when he can, but I’m usually freelance.”

“Wow, that sounds much more exciting than being a teacher.”

“Mostly it’s following someone important around the city or standing guard outside hotel doors.” He’s being modest and she thinks it’s telling that she’s already learning to read his facial expressions. “It’s ninety eight percent boredom.”

Lucy laughs. “Yet it’s that other two percent that everyone focuses on, right?”

“Right.” 

He keeps smiling at her like she’s captivating and she’s not certain how to handle this much undiluted attention from someone like Garcia Flynn. In the past, she’d always dated the academic type, studious and often more attached to their work than to her. The one outlier had been Wyatt, a technically married soldier who she could clearly put in the mistake column. She feels like she’s out of her depth.

“Well then I’m sure my life as a history professor will be more boredom than you can handle.” She smiles but keeps her head down as she talks, not wanting to see what emotions play on his face.

He leans forward and places a large hand beneath her chin, tilting her face up until she’s looking into his eyes. “I’m not bored at all. I’ve always had a fascination with history.”

“You have?” Her skin tingles from where he continues to touch her.

“Yes, like the way people managed to live without our modern day necessities.” He’s glowing as he talks. “Or how events seem to balance on the edge of a knife and if they had only gone a little different, how much our own worlds could have changed.”

She’s smitten.

_ Oh wow, keep talking like this and I’ll be a wreck by the end of the night. _

She knows she’s a goner when he takes a bite of his pudding and grimaces, but still finishes it so she’s not eating alone. She knows when he asks for the bill, and then asks if he should cover the cost or if she wants to split it. They split it, but she lets him know he can get the next one and the look of delight on his face is worth the sacrifice of mystery. Of course she wants to see him again. That damn smile is twisting her stomach with every appearance.

“I’m glad I didn’t decide to bail,” she says as the waiter leaves to run their cards. “This has been fun.”

“More fun than I’d anticipated and all the more appreciated for it,” Garcia says and it's still dizzying to hear someone say that about her company.

They pay and he stands by the door while the host brings their coats, his hands tucked in his pockets, shifting back and forth on his feet. Lucy thinks it’s the cutest thing to watch this tall man look absolutely beside himself with nerves.

_ You’re too adorable and I want to keep you. _

It’s a dangerous thought, especially on a first date, but there is something almost magnetic about how well they blend together.

She winds her scarf around her neck and tucks her hand into his arm. “So, what should we tell our meddling friends and family?”

He seems to think it over. “Hmmm, feign utter disgust at first, as if they were completely wrong and don’t know us on even the most basic level. Then tell them the truth.” He flashes a boyish grin.

“Make ‘em squirm first.” Lucy laughs and shakes her head. “I like it.”

“Good.” He’s looking down at her as they walk out of the restaurant and his eyes are bright with fond humor.

Lucy knows that if he tries to kiss her, she’s going to let him.

It’s a good first kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garcia and Lucy have been dating for a few weeks and when an important date comes up, Lucy knows exactly where she needs to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, I'm just getting deeper into this fandom! I couldn't leave this world alone so please accept a new chapter and don't hate me for the touch of angst. Please go easy as I don't currently have a beta reader for these stories.
> 
> Check me out on [tumblr](http://kateera.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/kateera_) to say hi and please, flail at me about these time traveling soulmates!

 

 

 

 

Lucy wakes up and checks her phone, frowning when there are no messages from Garcia. Double checking the time, she reads seven thirty and her frown deepens. He’s always awake by at least six. Trying not to read anything into it, she sends her own good morning message and goes to shower. When she’s done, she towels off her hair and checks her phone again. There’s still no message and she wonders if he’s still sleeping.

_Don’t read into it._

She tries not to worry, but it isn’t easy with her track record with relationships. They withdraw, become less and less available, and then they break up via a phone conversation or even an email once. Wyatt was the first to have the guts to at least say it to her face.

“Lucy, can you give me a ride to work?” Amy calls up from the bottom of the stairs.

“Sure, just let me get dressed.” She’s worried, she can admit that much, but as she puts on her makeup and slips into her cotton dress, she decides to keep her distance and see what happens.

_Maybe it’s all been a bit much and he needs a break._   
_Why wouldn’t he just say so?_   
_Forgot?  
Stop it, go get your sister to work._

Pulling a lightweight shawl over her shoulders, Lucy forces herself to smile and walk downstairs. Amy is waiting by the door, satchel slung over her shoulder as she taps out rapid strings of text on her phone.

“Ready?” Amy doesn’t look up from her phone as she talks.

Lucy grabs her by the shoulder, pulling her out the door and towards the car.

“Hey, what’s with the woman-handling?” Amy jerks her arm out of Lucy’s grasp and frowns. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Lucy says, sliding into the driver’s seat. “You coming or not?”

Amy gets into the passenger’s seat, buckling up while she wrinkles her forehead and studies Lucy. Ignoring her little sister, Lucy drums against the steering wheel while she pulls out into the street and towards the warehouse that Amy’s boss calls their office and Lucy calls a death trap.

“You working with Garcia today?” Lucy asks, hoping she sounds like she’s making conversation and not fishing for information.

Amy shakes her head. “Nah, I’ve got an interview for our podcast with a woman who’s trying to prove that squirrels are being trained by Homeland Security to infiltrate our houses and plant bugs. I don’t need tall and handsome to debunk that particular conspiracy.”

Lucy rolls her eyes. “Your job is a mess.”

“My job is fun.” Amy stays silent for a moment before turning to look out the window. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing,” Lucy says quickly. “I still don’t really know his schedule yet is all.”

“You could check Mason Industries.”

“It’s nothing,” Lucy tells her, regretting the fact that she’s asked anything.

More silence passes and Amy goes back to playing on her phone, leaving Lucy to contemplate the partly cloudy sky and California traffic and whether she’s too clingy and that’s why everyone eventually leaves.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Amy asks, pinching Lucy’s arm as they sit at a red light.

“Ow!” Lucy slaps at Amy’s hand and rubs her sore arm. “None of your business.”

“Are you and Garcia having problems?”

“No!” She knows her answer is too quick, but the stab of pain in her heart almost brings tears to her eyes.

Amy’s brow wrinkles. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing, I promise.” Taking a breath, Lucy keeps her eyes on the road and gathers her thoughts. “I mean, I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“Uh huh.” Amy crosses her arms. “What happened?”

Lucy sighs. “That’s just it, nothing happened. He didn’t text me this morning and I’m sure it’s nothing, but he hasn’t contacted me yet and you know what an early riser he is. He probably sleeping in and I’m being a-”

“Wait, what’s today?”

Lucy stops mid tirade and looks at Amy in confusion. “How can you not know what day it is?”

Amy looks down at her phone and lets out a long sigh. “Okay, don’t freak out, but I think I know what’s going on.” She puts a hand on Lucy’s shoulder. “Today is the day his family died in that car crash.”

Lucy stops breathing for a moment and her hands tighten around the steering wheel. She’s never asked for many details about his family, always assuming if he wanted to talk about it, that he would. She talks about her insecurity issues with him whenever she needs a friendly ear.

_Of course he’d be dealing with things differently._

“I’m an asshole,” Lucy whispers. “Why did I not know that?”

Amy shakes her head. “Hey, it’s not like it’s something you can come out and ask and he’s so private about that part of his life that...trust me, the only reason I know is cause this time last year he was supposed to hand in some research and I had to go collect it from him because he couldn’t drive.”

“He was drunk?”

“Off his ass,” Amy says, giving Lucy a sympathetic smile. “But don’t worry, he’s probably just turned off his phone so he doesn’t have to deal with the world.”

Lucy shakes her head. The Garcia that Amy talks about is sometimes a complete stranger to the one she knows, someone full of grief, wrapping his rage around him like a familiar sweater.

“He’ll be alright.” Amy’s soothing tone isn’t working. “He needs some time and then he’ll text and you guys will be back to being annoyingly cute.”

Not saying anything, Lucy pulls up to the large warehouse and parks. She’s not sure what to do.

_Do I call out of work and go see him? Do I leave him alone? Do I wait for him to reach out first?_

“You’re thinking too much,” Amy says as she grabs her bag and jumps out of the car.

“I don’t like the thought of him being alone,” Lucy admits.

“Then go to him.” Leaning close, Amy pulls on a tendril of her still drying hair. “Just don’t expect much.”

Lucy nods and gives her a wave as she walks off towards the building. Sitting in the car, watching Amy’s co-workers walk into the crumbling warehouse, Lucy thinks about the past few weeks. Garcia dotes on her in a way she’s never experienced and it’s the little things that make her dizzy with happiness.

It’s the way he begins every morning text conversation with “Are you awake, dear?” because he’s always up before her. It’s the way he wishes her good luck with her classes and knows her schedule better than she does. It’s the single tulip sitting in a slender glass vase on her desk and how he somehow always sends a new one just as the old one is wilting.

He’s a bright new light in her life and Lucy doesn’t think about Wyatt so much anymore. She still feels the pain, but it’s a duller ache and Garcia’s smile can make it vanish like it never existed. She’s addicted to his smiles.

She makes up her mind and calls work, citing a case of food poisoning and taking the day off. Stopping at the nearby grocery store, she grabs essentials and rushes through self-checkout like a mad woman. She texts him as she walks back to the car.

**Lucy: I’m coming over.**

She doesn’t want to surprise him, but she can’t think of anything else to say through a text message. She texts Amy instead.

**Lucy: I need Rufus or Jiya’s number.**

There’s a delay while she waits for Amy to respond and she sips from her water bottle while the parking lot fills with cars.

**Amy: I’ve attached Jiya’s number. You going over there?”**

**Lucy: Yeah, I’m at least going to make sure he eats something.**

**Amy: Good, let me know how it goes.**

**Lucy: Talk later.**

Calling Jiya, a person she’s never met before, is nerve wracking. She hits the call button because Garcia needs her.

“Hi, this is Lucy Preston. I got your number from my sister.”

“Hi! It’s nice to meet you, sort of.” Jiya’s voice is cheerful and bright and Lucy smiles despite her nerves.

“Um, I know this might be weird, but would you be able to let me into the apartment building?” She plays with the small toggles on her shirt.

Jiya doesn’t respond right away and Lucy wants to explain the whole thing, but she doesn’t know what Garcia has told his neighbors about his previous life.

“I’ll call Barry right now and tell him to expect you. Just give him your name.” Jiya pauses and Lucy can hear whispering before she starts speaking again. “Rufus says thank you. We’ve got a major project over here or else we would have taken the time off.”

“I didn’t even know,” Lucy says, taking a shuddering breath to center herself. “He never said.”

“That sounds like him.” Jiya gives a little laugh. “Go take care of him and maybe tonight I can put a face with the voice.”

Lucy smiles. “I’d like that, bye.”

“Bye.”

Hanging up the phone, Lucy starts the car and heads to Garcia’s apartment.

 

~

 

*Knock knock*

He turns his head to the door and stares at it. If it’s Rufus or Jiya they have a key and if it’s anyone else, he doesn’t want to see them. Lucy doesn’t know what day it is and she’s at work now so he says nothing and turns his head back to look at the ceiling.

*Knock knock* “Um, Garcia, are you there?” Lucy’s voice floats under the door and he rolls off the couch into a heap on the floor.

Untangling himself from the blanket, he rubs at his face. _What is she doing here? How did she get in?_

“Garcia? Hello?” She sounds worried and he hates that he’s put that tone in her voice.

“Yes, I’ll be right there.” Looking down at his old sweatpants and threadbare tank top, he groans. She’s never seen him like this, like the mess he feels like inside, but there’s no time to change.

Walking to the door, he takes a moment to run his hand through his hair and then opens it to find Lucy standing in the hall, holding a paper bag.

“Hi,” he says, his mind trying to focus on the idea that she’s really here.

She smiles. “Can I come in?”

He holds the door open and she slips under his arm and into the dark living room. She’s wearing a flowing dress that twirls around her calves as she invades his space and he stares at the swishing fabric until he hears her call his name.

“Garcia, can I put these in the kitchen?”

He looks up into her eyes and he can read the emotions she’s trying so hard to keep hidden. There’s no pity, only compassion and guilt and worry. He wants to wrap his arms around her and wash the guilt and worry away.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Heading to the bathroom, he leaves her to figure out his kitchen while he cleans his face and teeth and pushes a comb through his hair. He’s thinking about changing when there’s a knock on the door.

Lucy’s voice is muffled through the wood. “Are you alright?”

Garcia doesn’t know what to say.

“Sorry, I guess that was stupid.” She’s shuffling back and forth on her feet and he smiles.

Opening the door, he looks down to see her staring at her shoes, her arms crossed over her chest. He gives into his impulse and pulls her into his arms. She fits under his chin and sighs and he feels the release of tension. They stand like this, holding each other in silence, until Lucy tilts her head up and gives him a small smile.

“I called out of my classes,” she says, her hands drawing tighter in his shirt.

He leans down and kisses her forehead. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did.” Her eyes drop back to the carpet. “Amy told me what today was. I’m sorry, Garcia.”

He shakes his head and pulls back. “You didn’t know. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine. You shouldn’t have been here alone.” She straightens up and pulls at his shirt. “Come on, I’ll make us some soup.”

He follows her into the kitchen. The idea of food upsets his stomach, but she’s trying to help, pushing back her sleeves in her trademark serious business mode, and its an adorable trait that makes him want to give in to her every whim. She doesn’t take advantage very often, but he’s also seen Under the Tuscan Sun twice since they started dating and found himself giving her massages after she’s done grading papers.

“I didn’t know what kind of soup you liked, so I grabbed tomato and chicken noodle.” She holds up the two plastic containers. “Which do you want?”

“So, you mean, reheat soup, not make it.” He sits at his table and lays his head down on his arms, tilting it so he can watch her move about his kitchen.

“We both know that me making anything would be a disaster,” she says, throwing him an amused look.

“I’m not really hungry.” His voice cracks on the last word and he clears his throat. “I wouldn’t say no to some water.”

She pulls a bottle from her grocery bag and hands it to him. “I’ll just put the soup in the fridge then, for later.”

He watches her move about, arranging her groceries, straightening towels, and open and closing the dishwasher.

_She’s nervous, say something._

“You don’t have to stay,” he says as he turns the water bottle around in his hands.

Her face falls and he wants to kick himself.

“Did you want me to go?” Her voice is soft and comforting and he knows if he said, ‘yes, please go, I hate that you’re seeing me like this’, that she would give him space without hesitation.

_She’s trying so hard._

“No, I don’t.” He feels the hurt bubbling and pushes it down with a cough. “Thank you, Lucy.”

She nods and walks to him, letting him rest his head against her stomach. “You don’t have to do any of this alone, alright?”

For as often as his friends have said those words, looking up into her eyes, he truly believes her. Garcia wraps his arms around her waist and buries his face against her as the tears fall.

 

~

 

Lucy runs her hands through his hair, watching the dark curtain fall back into place over his forehead. They are resting on the couch, Lucy with her back against an armrest while Garcia lays across, his head in her lap and his legs dangling off the other end. He’s asleep after his break down in the kitchen and the quiet of the living room and the sound of his gentle breathing gives her time to think. She knows she loves this man who can match wits with her sister, make funny faces at babies in the grocery store, and make her feel like the most important woman in the world. She loves him and it breaks her heart that he’s suffering.

 _Just be there for him.  
_ _Be strong, like he’s strong for you._

The TV remote is too far away, so Lucy pulls out her phone, opens up her crossword app, and settles in for a few games. She keeps the volume low and she keeps her one of her hands moving through his hair, offering comfort while he sleeps.

Her back aches by the time he wakes up. It’s a knock on the door that rouses him and he sits up with his hair sticking out and a crease down his face where it had rested on her dress. He looks more adorable now then she’s ever seen him before and Lucy can’t help the fluttering in her stomach.

“Who is it?” He answers and his voice is still scratchy from sleep and  Lucy swallows to keep her libido in check.

“It’s Jiya.” There’s a shuffling from the hallway.

“And Rufus,” a new voice says with a rustling of plastic. “Can we come in?”

Garcia looks at Lucy. “You up for company?”

She chews at the inside of her cheek. “Are you?”

He ruffles his hair and gives her a warm smile. “It’s Rufus and Jiya. They’re family at this point.”

She reaches up and places a hand on his cheek. “I would love to meet them.”

He leans forward and kisses her and Lucy feels like she’s stopped moving and the world is still spinning around her.

“I’m going to let them in and then take a quick shower.” He lifts her to her feet. “I’m sure they’ll want to ask you all sorts of questions while we eat whatever they’ve picked up for dinner.”

There’s a fondness in his voice that speaks to how much these two people have come to mean to him. Lucy says nothing as he walks away, too wrapped up in the idea of finally meeting his friends. The two people in the hall have their heads together and are whispering when Garcia opens the door and Lucy sees them jump at the sudden appearance of their friend. The man is carrying a takeout bag and the smell of chinese food makes her stomach grumble.

“Flynn, hey man,” Rufus says, patting him on the arm as they step inside. “Sorry we couldn’t get here earlier, but Connor has us working every day till we get this new project finished.”

“Top secret, babe,” Jiya says, giving Garcia a hug as she rolls her eyes at her partner. “He’s excited, so please, for my sake, don’t ask him anything about it.”

Lucy waits for them to notice that she’s in the room, sharing a smirk with Garcia as they bypass the living room and head for the kitchen. She tags along, keeping quiet and hiding behind Garcia.

_He must be feeling better if he’s in the mood for pranks._

Jiya notices first and Lucy imagines that it’s because of her purse sitting on the table. Rufus might have never noticed, already pulling takeout containers from their bags and arranging them on the counter. Jiya looks behind Garcia and Lucy gives her a wave.

“Oh my god, you’re still here!” Jiya rushes forward and Lucy barely has time to brace before she’s wrapped in a hug. “It’s so good to finally meet you!"

Rufus is startled, but recovers quickly, giving her a small wave. “Hello, you must be Lucy.”

“Yep, that’s me,” she says with a return wave.

“Oh, you’re adorable,” Jiya says, grabbing her arm and pushing her down next to Garcia at the kitchen table. “I knew you would be, of course, but I love your style. It’s so fifties meets the future.”

“Leave her alone, Jiya,” Rufus says, turning back to the food. “You’re going to scare her away and then Flynn will hate us forever.”

Jiya laughs. “Oh, she seems tough.”

“She’s very tough,” Garcia says and Lucy blushes and pushes on his shoulder.

“Weren’t you going to go shower?”

Garcia hums and stands up. “I’ll be right back.” Leaning down, he places a kiss on her forehead and then looks at Rufus and Jiya. “Be nice.”

Lucy waves him towards the bathroom and watches him walk away with a smile. He looks relaxed, if a little tired, and her eyes follow him until he closes the bathroom door.

“Oh, you got it bad,” Jiya says with a laugh.

Lucy blushes and shrugs, unsure of how to deal with two people who might know Garcia better than she does. “So, why do you call him Flynn?”

Rufus laughs and comes to the table with a tray of food and sets it down. “When he first moved in, he was a little, um, standoffish is the best way to put it.” He sits down and dishes up some of the rice and chicken. “We of course, tried to be neighborly and the one time we got him to talk, he told us he was Flynn.”

“Just Flynn, nothing else,” Jiya says, stealing an egg-roll off Rufus’ plate. “Like Madonna or Beyonce.”

“Except he was an angry man with no musical skills to speak of,” Rufus says as he stands up and grabs more plates from the counter. “We went with it and he did open up eventually, but the Flynn thing kind of stuck.”

“Now it’s our little inside joke and I’m sure he’s glad we didn’t give up.” Jiya raises her egg roll. “Are you hungry?”

“I was waiting for Garcia,” Lucy says with a smile.

Watching Rufus and Jiya together, it’s obvious they love each other as well as Garcia and it makes Lucy’s heart a little lighter to know he has friends like them.

“Did you want to watch something?” She asks as they dig into their food.

Jiya shakes her head. “No, we want to know all about you! You’re Amy’s sister, but you don’t seem crazy so please, tell us everything.”

Rufus is nodding and Lucy laughs. “What do you want to know?”

 

~

 

Garcia slips his sweater over his head and runs a hand through his damp hair, smiling as he hears laughter floating in from the kitchen. The pain from earlier has numbed and it’s as if Lucy’s presence is a balm over his aching heart.

_I’m an idiot for not telling her._

Looking at himself in the mirror, he pulls his sweater straight and flicks his hair back from his eyes. “Stop being an idiot.”

A huge burst of laughter from the kitchen distracts him from the pep talk he’s trying to give and he slips on his shoes and heads back to Lucy.

She’s sitting across from Rufus and Jiya, her head thrown back as she laughs, and she’s too beautiful for his brain to find words to describe what the sight does to his heart.

“I thought Connor was going to fire us both, but he just turned around, coughed, and told us he’d just won $200 bucks!”

“Oh man, and you didn’t get into trouble?”

Jiya giggles, shaking her head. “I pulled my shirt back on, got back to work, and two days later Connor treated us to lunch and went over all the rules for co-workers dating.”

“The humiliation of that conversation was the punishment.” Rufus shudders and takes another egg-roll from the plate.

“And yet I still finding you two hiding in the closet.” Garcia says as he enters the kitchen.

“What can I say, I like kissing in dark corners.” Jiya winks at Lucy and Garcia shakes his head.

Lucy moves to stand and Garcia motions her to stay where she is, instead coming around the table and sitting next to her. He grabs a plate and some of the food from the tray.

“What’s all the laughing about?”

Lucy blushes and he loves that the color goes all the way to the tips of her ears.

“They were telling me how they got together,” she says. “Since they already know our story, I thought it was only fair.”

“Yeah, only Flynn would be late for a date ‘cause he’s trying to play superhero.” Rufus points his fork at Garcia. “You’re lucky she didn’t decide to leave.”

“I almost did, I was grabbing my coat when he came through the door all covered in mud and drenched.” Lucy grabs a piece of chicken from his plate and Garcia wants to kiss her. “If he’d been even a little bit less attractive, I would have walked out.”

Everyone laughs as she pops the chicken in her mouth, her eyes sparkling.

Garcia leans over and takes her hand, pressing his lips to her palm. “I’m very glad I passed inspection then.”

There is still a pain in his chest from the memory of his family, but he’s doing better and he thinks that Lorena would approve of him moving on with Lucy. The two women would certainly have gotten on like a house on fire. It’s soothing to be in her presence and no matter the circumstances, he’s glad she came to see him.

“Should we tell her about that time Flynn tackled a FedEx guy because the man looked like he was breaking into our apartment?” Jiya wiggles her eyebrows as Garcia groans.

“It looked like a legitimate threat and I’m not sorry I did it.” Garcia stops and then grins at Lucy. “At least now he knows to always wear a company shirt when making deliveries.”

The table breaks into more laughter and Garcia feels the mood of the apartment shift from somber to cheerful as he watches over his friends and over Lucy. She’s taking more food from his plate and he waves her hand away.

“Get your own,” he says, pointing to the tray.

She grins. “It’s more fun this way.”

Her grin is infectious and Jiya awws as he leans in and kisses her, unable to resist the temptation any longer.

The evening with Rufus and Jiya is fun, more fun than he thought he’d have on a day like today, and he knows he can thank Lucy for that.

After his two friends head back to their apartment, he draws Lucy into his arms and kisses her like he’s wanted to do ever since he walked into the kitchen to the sound of her laughing. Lucy clings to him, like she’s afraid he’ll disappear into smoke and he feels her fingers dig into his side.

Drawing back, he looks down into her eyes and there is a tenderness there that sends sparks through his whole body.

Lucy smiles. “What?”

“Thank you,” he says, brushing her hair out of her face. “For coming over.”

“You’re welcome.” She turns and kisses his hand. “I’ll do better at being here for you, okay?”

“No, you’re wonderful. There’s nothing to be better about.” Cupping her cheek, he leans down and places soft kisses on the corners of her mouth.

He feels her smile and his heart is pounding and he knows there is nothing he wouldn't do for this woman. “You want to watch a movie? You can pick.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy's birthday is coming up and Lucy has no idea what to get her. While shopping, she gets an unwelcome surprise that threatens to ruin her whole day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still dying over these two and I want them to be happy forever! I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if anyone wants to help a paranoid writer out, I would appreciate it. :)
> 
> Check me out on [tumblr](http://kateera.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/kateera_)

 

 

Garcia holds up a blue and green scarf with short fringe on each end. “What about this?”

Lucy hums and shakes her head. “She’s not really a scarf person.” She looks around the accessories aisle and frowns. “Maybe we should have gone to an electronics store.”

“She’s your sister,” Garcia says, putting the scarf back and patting Lucy’s shoulder. “I’m just here for emotional support.”

Lucy sighs and pulls him by the arm, heading for the other side of the store. “I’m all out of ideas.” She groans. “She’s so hard to shop for.”

She feels him squeeze her shoulder and smiles, letting his presence melt away the stress of figuring out her sister’s birthday gift. She’s tired of shopping and is ready to give up and find the gift card aisle. Garcia stops moving and Lucy almost loses her balance as he keeps them from moving forward. As much as she pretends to lead him around, if he doesn’t want to move, she doesn’t have the strength to pull him along.

“Does your sister like animals?”

Lucy tilts her head at him. “I guess so, why?”

“Maybe getting her a pet would be a good idea?” He’s standing with his hands on his hips and his hair falling over his eyes and the vulnerable look on his face as he offers the suggestion is endearing.

“She’s done a few articles on the evils of dog fighting and puppy mills,” Lucy says, turning the idea over in her mind. “It’s not a completely awful idea.”

“We can at least go to the animal shelter and look around,” Garcia says, leaning forward with a smile.

She looks up at him and can’t stop herself from reaching up and running her hand through his hair. She adores the way he leans into her touch, as if he’s been starved for attention, and she thinks maybe they both have. It would explain why she has a hard time keeping herself from touching him.

“It will have to be fairly small. Our place isn't that big.” She's warming to the idea of having a little fuzzball running around the house. "Amy's always complaining that she doesn't have enough space."

He smiles and shrugs. “Well, maybe she’ll have more room in the future.”

Lucy wrinkles her nose at him, but before she can say anything, a familiar voice comes from around the aisle.

“I still want to see what their prices are before we leave.”

Her heart stops and she can’t think. It’s been months since she’s heard that voice, with its soft charm and low timber that used to delight her every time he spoke. She tries to slip behind Garcia, but there isn’t enough time as Wyatt and a woman she can only assume is his wife come around the corner. She freezes as Wyatt looks up and sees her standing there, halfway behind the wall that is Garcia Flynn.

“Oh, um,” Wyatt stammers as he looks between her and Garcia. “Hi.”

Lucy sighs and steps forward to stand next to Garcia. “Hi, Wyatt.”

She feels Garcia tense up at the name and she quickly slips her hand into his. She’s told enough stories about Wyatt that she’s afraid of how he’ll react to meeting the man who cemented the insecurity she struggles with every day. Wyatt’s eyes latch onto their entwined hands and his face twists into something bitter and ugly. The woman next to Wyatt looks at them and frowns, obviously reading the the heightened tension.

“Hi, are you friends of Wyatt’s?” She holds out her hand. “I’m Jessica.”

Lucy doesn’t want to do or say anything, but the social niceties bred into her by her mother push her forward and she shakes Jessica’s hand. “Hi, um, I’m Lucy.” She looks up at Garcia. “This is my, um, this is Garcia. Garcia, this is Wyatt and his wife, Jessica.”

The slightest furrow of his brow is the only reaction she gets for her stammering before he nods at Wyatt and Jessica. She looks at Jessica and sees the understanding flash in her eyes and for a moment, Lucy fears her reaction, but Jessica gives a small smile and Lucy lets out her breath. She never thought Wyatt would keep her existence a secret, but it’s still jarring to realize this woman knows she slept with her husband. They might not have been together, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t still married during her and Wyatt’s relationship.

_ Oh, this is awkward. _

Garcia steps forward and Lucy releases a breath as he returns to her side. He feels like a grounding force next to her, keeping her emotions from throwing her into a panic attack.

“Nice to meet you,” he says, drawing Lucy closer to him and looking right at Wyatt. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Wyatt rubs at his neck, the edges of his ears turning red. “What brings you to my side of town?” Wyatt asks, staring at Lucy like this encounter is all her fault.

He’s glaring at her and Garcia and she can feel the anger simmering underneath his struggle to remain calm. She wants to run away or hide or do something, anything, except stand there under the judgement he’s throwing at her. 

_ You left me, remember? Why are you looking at me like I did something wrong? _

Lucy can't stop the press of pain in her heart and squeezes Garcia’s hand so hard that he flexes his fingers in response. “Um, Amy’s birthday is coming up, so we’re gift shopping.”

“Oh yeah, how is your sister?” Wyatt gives a little laugh. “Still chasing the crazy people and asking for their oh so sound opinions?” His beaming face tells her that he thinks he’s being clever.

The urge to slap him is strong, but Lucy focuses on the tight clench of Garcia’s hand. “She likes what she does.”

She remembers the arguments they used to have about Amy. He had been convinced that someone connected to Amy’s job would hurt them and he tried using all his pull to get Amy away from her job. She hates that he seems to think it was for her protection. Looking at Jessica, Lucy hopes she likes that kind of overbearing thinking.

_ Maybe she thinks it’s cute. _

Garcia’s voice cuts through her mental assessment. “So, I suppose we better let you get back to your day.”

Wyatt drapes his arm around Jessica’s waist and pulls her close. “Yeah, sure, we’re searching for a car seat.” His smile is smug and his words are like daggers . “We just came back from Jessica’s latest ultrasound.”

Lucy is finding it hard to breathe and she wants to leave, be as far from Wyatt and his happiness and the fact that he can’t seem to stop rubbing his fantastic new life in her face while at the same time judging her for moving on. She doesn’t think he knows what he’s doing, but it still hurts. She looks up at Garcia and tries to push the pain away.

_ I have Garcia now, why is this bothering me? _

She thinks she loves this man, with his soft smiles and gentle hands and rolling voice that reminds her of spice and heat, but she can’t help the aches in her heart at seeing the full force of Wyatt’s decision to leave her behind.

“Well, I guess, um, congratulations.” She’s stuttering and she hates it. “That’s, that’s a big step.”

“Yeah, but we felt like it was time,” Wyatt says with a pat to . “Can’t let life get away from us.”

_ No, not when you’ve found your perfect ending. Were you always such an ass? _

Feeling Garcia shift next to her, Lucy feels the bloom of warmth in her chest at his solid presence. She’s not sure if she’d be this calm if she’d come shopping alone. He stills, but doesn’t say anything and she realizes that he’s waiting for her to take the lead in this awkward moment. She wishes she knew what to say.

“Um, how long have you two been together?” Jessica asks, her sweet voice cutting through the awful silence.

Garcia leans down and places a kiss on Lucy’s forehead. “Three months, four days, right honey?”

Lucy melts at the adoration in his voice, her breathing catching in her throat. “Right, but it feels like longer than that.”

 

~

 

Garcia wants to pull Lucy out of the store and away from the man who put so much fear in her heart, fear that she isn’t good enough, fear that she’s destined for loneliness, all thoughts he never wants her to have to deal with again. As he watches the man he’s heard so much about, he lifts his eyebrows in surprise. Jealousy radiates out of Wyatt in waves and Garcia can’t believe the nerve of this guy to show any sort of possession over Lucy.

_ You went back to your wife so stop being a dick. _

“Lucy, we need to get going,” he whispers into her ear, brushing his thumb back and forth across her hand.

She pats his stomach and Garcia flashes a grin towards the other couple. She’s calming down and he takes a deep breath to steady his own nerves. Wyatt shifts on his feet and Garcia can see that he wants to say something, but is most likely holding back because his wife is standing beside him.

_ Good, keep your mouth shut. _

“Well, have a good, um, day,” Lucy says with a small smile.

Jessica returns the smile and Garcia thinks that in another lifetime, he could learn to like the woman.

“Let me know if you need anything, alright Lucy?” Wyatt gives her a charming smile and Garcia feels her muscles tense.

“Yeah, sure.” Lucy says with a return smile. “But you’ll be busy with that baby.” She looks up at Garcia and the radiating pain in her eyes makes him want to swoop her up in his arms and carry her away. He knows his protective streak is strong with this woman, but she wouldn’t appreciate the gesture so he remains as still as he can. He isn’t able to protect her from this, but he can show her that he’s not going to disappear.

“Nice meeting you,” Jessica says and she pulls on Wyatt’s arm. 

Garcia watches them leave, not moving a muscle as Wyatt stares at him in a barely controlled glare until they disappear around the corner.

Lucy turns to him as soon as they’re gone, her voice cracking. “I’m sorry about that. He’s just, protective.”

Garcia shakes his head. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.” He keeps a hand on her back as she closes her eyes and collects herself.

Her breathing is shaky as he turns her towards the door. “You didn’t have to. I know how that sounded.”

He grabs her arm and makes her face him. “Hey, hey.” He places his hand up to her cheek. “You’re fine. We’re fine. I don’t know him enough to try and guess why he left, but I can’t say I’m sorry he did.”

He smiles at her and feels her arms slide around his waist, her small hands clutching at his shirt. Her eyes are shiny and her lips are twitching into the semblance of a smile.

“Are you glad?” Garcia asks, his voice low as he leans down to brush his lips across her forehead.

“Yeah,” she says, nuzzling against his cheek. “I’m glad I got to meet you.”

“Good, cause we have a whole yard of dogs to look at and Amy’s birthday is tomorrow.” Garcia grins wide and wiggles his eyebrows at her and laughter follows them out of the store.

The drive to the animal shelter is quiet, soft music playing on the radio as she stares out the window, but Garcia doesn’t push. His demons stay in his nightmares; he doesn’t have to see them walking around without him, so he can’t say he understands what she’s feeling. He know she’s in pain though, and he wants to pull it from her and bury it so deep inside his heart that she never has to feel it again. 

“Um, did you want to get something to eat first?” He’s reaching for any reaction.

“He’s going to have a family now, and all he had to do was walk away from the whole life we built together.” Her voice is soft, like she’s talking to herself. “I mean, I know it’s what’s best, but it hurts.”

He doesn’t say anything, not sure if she even wants a response.

She turns and faces him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m a mess about this. You’re wonderful and it’s not fair to you.”

“Hey, it’s not about that,” Garcia says, his hands clenching around the steering wheel. “You’re allowed to feel what you feel, Lucy.” He watches her out of the corner of his eye, wishing they weren't driving so he could hold her and reassure her that he's not the leaving type.

She rubs her hands across her face. “Seeing him just, brought everything back up. I thought I was over it. I mean, I am over it.” She closes her eyes and lets out a long breath. “I don’t want him back, you know. You, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. I know that.”

He gives her a soft smile, appreciating the compliment. “I’m right here, alright? I’m not going anywhere.”

Her eyes soften and he reaches out, taking her small hand in his and threading their fingers together.

“We should get something to eat after the shelter,” Lucy says, the twinkle in her eye a welcome sight. “We might have a third mouth to feed though.”

Garcia raises her hand to his lips and gives it a kiss. “I can work with that.”

 

~

 

The shelter is a mix of barking dogs, rushing attendants, and excited families. Lucy watches a young child pick up a small labrador puppy into his arms and squeeze the animal with a look of pure love on his face. It’s chaos, but in a good way, and Garcia holds her hand as they walk into the back.

“So, puppy?” He asks with a raised eyebrow.

Lucy shakes her head. “I’m pretty sure potty training a puppy would be too much at this point.” Looking through one of the windows towards a yard full of yipping animals. "I was thinking more like a calm older dog that enjoys cuddling."

An attendant walks by and stops as she sees Garcia, making her smile wide and divert in their direction. Lucy rolls her eyes at the now familiar reaction towards her partner.

“Hey, I’m Amanda. What can I help you with?” Amanda’s eyes haven’t strayed from Garcia and Lucy wants to giggle.

“My girlfriend and I are looking for an older dog, something small for apartment living?” Garcia draws her to his side and Lucy feels bad for the brief look of disappointment on Amanda’s face.

She steps forward and gives Amanda a smile. “Could we take a look?”

Amanda smiles back and a look exchanges between them that encompasses everything from “holy hell, he’s hot” and “yeah, I know” to “good for you, girl” and “I’m pretty happy about it”.

Garcia doesn’t seem to notice their silent exchange and Lucy wonders if he even knows the effect he has on the population at large. If he did, it didn’t seem to change his single minded devotion to her and for that, Lucy is grateful beyond measure. She didn’t think her insecurities could take another trip through someone’s inflated ego.

“We have a few that might match your needs,” Amanda says, all business now that it’s clear the tall handsome man is off-limits. “I’ll take you back and you can walk the yard. Make sure you check out the cards on their kennels to get more information on their personality and temperament.”

Amanda waves them out into the fenced in yard and then they’re on their own, pausing at each kennel to read the placard and let the dogs sniff at their hands. Some of the animals are in cages and some are tied up next to small houses, but they look healthy and more barking starts as they walk forward.

“What about this one?” Garcia asks, bending down to coax a small black and tan terrier towards his hand.

Lucy reads the card and shakes her head. “He’s high strung and needs to be trained to not chew. Amy likes her shoes too much.”

Garcia snorts and lets the little dog lick his fingers a few times before he gets up and moves on. She watches him talk to every dog they pass, giving some of them pats on the head and bending down to rub bellies to any of the animals that roll over. He’s starts with English but by the third dog, he switches to Croatian and the rolling language sends a shiver up her spine.

_ Why am I giving any thought to Wyatt when I have the sweetest man right here in front of me? _

Giving herself a mental shake, the last of her pain drains away and she’s able to focus on the task at hand. She looks into a kennel at the end of the row of cages and sees a small pink nose sticking out from under a blue and green blanket.

She taps at the cage. “Hey there, what are you doing?”

The head pops up and Lucy gives a little laugh. She glances at the card on the kennel and then taps the cage again.

“Hey Mitzi, hey, wanna say hi?” She keeps her voice calm as the dog sniffs and shuffles under her blanket.

The dog comes out to sniff Lucy’s hand and she knows she’s sold on the little mutt. She’s mostly white with gray on her ears and muzzle and her large eyes peek out from a fringe of hair. She doesn’t bark even with the excitement of the other dogs around her and Lucy is already in love.

“Garcia, I found her.”

She waits until she can feel him kneeling down behind her and then gives the little dog a scratch on the head. He reaches forward and holds out his hand and Mitzie licks at the back of his hand. While Lucy keeps giving the dog attention, Garcia reads the card on her kennel and snorts.

“That name will need to change.” He says, tilting his head as he reads. “She’s housebroken, calm, kennel trained, and she likes long walks by the ocean.”

“It does not say that.” Lucy gives him a look and he holds up the card for her to read. “Huh, it reads more like a dating profile.”

“She’s been fixed and likes women more than men,” Garcia finishes the card and looks back at Mitzie. “Are you going to behave yourself?”

“She’s female, she’s going to love you,” Lucy says, looking around the yard for anyone who might be able to help them.

Garcia stands up and she watches as he moves back to the building and waves down one of the attendants. She settles next to Mitzi, letting the little dog crawl into her lap and lick at her hand. She’s sweet, but Garcia is right, the name has to go.

“What should we call you?” Lucy asks her and the little dog rolls over and stares up at her. “Probably best to let Amy decide anyway, huh?”

Mitzi gives a little bark and Lucy can’t help the laugh that escapes her at the gravely sound. Garcia comes back and she looks up at him, feeling contentment steal away the pain from the run in with Wyatt.

_ I love him. _

It’s a simple phrase, but it fills her entire being and she wants to laugh and cry and dance and kiss and if it’s him for the rest of her life, she might die from happiness. She doesn’t tell him, there’s time to tell him later, but the knowledge lifts her spirits more than the snuggling dog in her lap.

“You want to let her off the chain?” Garcia asks, holding out a thin purple leash. “Amanda says we can take her for a walk and see how she does.”

“I imagine Amanda would let us do just about anything if you asked,” Lucy says with a laugh as she takes the leash. “You’re entirely too charming for your own good.”

Garcia squints at her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.” Lucy loops the leash around Mitzie’s neck and stands up. “Once around the block?”

He takes her hand and they exit the yard. She feels lighter now, the fresh air, the firm touch of Garcia helping to lift her spirits, and the trotting Mitzie next to them makes her smile.

“What?” Garcia asks, swinging her arm as they walk.

She looks up at him and her smile widens at the sight of his own grin. “Nothing. I’m just…” She pulls him to a stop and puts her hand up to his cheek. “I’m happy. I’m happy with you. You make me happy.”

He gathers her up in his arms and kisses her, a soft brush of their lips that weakens her knees and sends her heart racing.

“Me too,” he says as he draws back. “I’m happy with you.”

Mitzi barks at them and Lucy laughs. “Come on, let’s tell them we want her. Amy is going to be thrilled.”

“Maybe if I ask nicely, Amanda will let us take a kennel so she doesn’t scratch my seats.” Garcia ducks his head and grins.

Shoving him away from her with a snort, Lucy pulls Mitzi along. “See, I knew you couldn’t be that oblivious.”

She knows she’s not completely healed from her past, that Wyatt still has the ability to turn her into a stammering insecure mess, but Garcia’s shaking laugh and soft touch feels like the perfect remedy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a rough evening, Garcia figures out that the only smart thing to do is ask Lucy to move in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part four is here and I'm fairly certain this is the last one. Thank you to everyone who's read and sent me so much love <3  
> [Tsuuriki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsuuriki/pseuds/Tsuuriki) has graciously agreed to be my beta, so thanks dear!
> 
> Check me out on [tumblr](http://kateera.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/kateera_)

   

 

 

It’s their first real fight (something that didn’t revolve around who’s turn it is to pick the restaurant or what time the movie actually was) and Lucy wants to run and hide. She hates feeling like this, especially with him. Garcia fights like he does most things, with intimidating purpose, and she feels like crying, but she’s too angry.

“She was hanging all over you and you didn’t do anything.” She feels crazy, but it’s the third time this month that a Ms. Whitmore has hired Garcia for his protection services and the socialite has been photographed everywhere, parading him around like some prize she’s won. Lucy wants to be okay with it, and she wants to be supportive, but the gleam in the woman’s eye sets her on edge and she keeps having nightmare of Wyatt that shift into Garcia and now it’s all too much.

“It’s my job, Lucy,” Garcia says with a glare, crossing his arms. “I can’t alienate the people who want my help.”

“She doesn’t want your help, she wants to flaunt you in from of all her exes in hopes of drama.” She grabs a blanket from the couch and wraps it around her shoulders.

“You know I’m not going to help her with that.” His face is set in stone, like he’s ready for whatever she throws at him.

She sounds like a jealous lover and it’s the last thing she wants. He’s never given her any indication that he wants to move on, or see other people, or even that he looks at other women, but bad habits are hard to break and she can’t stop her mind from racing with all the reasons he should leave. She breathes in deep and lets it out in a slow stream of air.

“I know, and I know if someone else tried to start a fight, you could handle it,” Lucy says as calm as she can. “What I’m upset about is that idea of this woman getting you hurt because of her pride.” She hopes her eyes convey concern. “It’s not worth the money to end up as another scandal in the gossip columns.”

Garcia rubs his hand over his face. “Lucy, I get it, but it’s the job alright?”

She sinks further into the couch, wrapped in the blanket and feeling tired. “Maybe, but I don’t have to like it.”

She watches him walk over and drop to his knees in front of her. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, okay?” His eyes are shining and a smile dances on his lips. “I’m not going to leave when there’s you, the most impressive woman I know, sitting on my couch.”

She smiles despite herself. “You’re too charming for your own good, you know that?”

“Depends, is it working?”

She’s breathing easier and his smile is making her stomach do somersaults. “Yeah, it’s working.”

“I love you,” he says, looking at her through his eyelashes and being far too attractive. “Can you trust me not to jeopardize us?”

She swallows back the tears that threaten to fall. “I love you too.” She does trust him, more than she ever thought she would again. “I may need reassurances every once in a while, that you think I’m impressive.”

The crinkles around his eyes as he smiles are mesmerizing. “I think I can handle that.” He leans forward and places a soft kiss on her lips. “So, our first fight. That didn’t go so bad.”

Grabbing his shirt, Lucy pulls him back into a deeper kiss, keeping her one hand in the fabric of his sweater while her other hand threads through his hair. She squeaks when he slips his arms under her and lifts her up, never breaking their kiss.

~

Slipping out of bed and grabbing his sweatpants, Garcia slips them on and pads out to the kitchen. He grabs a cup of coffee, blessing Rufus for the timer on his machine, and then wanders back into the bedroom, looking down at Lucy as she twists in the sheets. He loves how her face scrunches up when she’s dreaming, like even in sleep she’s deep in thought.

_How can someone so amazing, feel so unsure about herself?_

He knows he can’t gather up every hurt inside her and throw into the sea, but he wants to make her happy, wants more smiles and silly mornings where they can’t drag themselves from bed and more, more of her.

She blinks her eyes as she wakes up and moves to crouch by the bed, holding out the cup of coffee and waving it around. She laughs and takes the cup from him, sitting up to sip her coffee while he climbs back into bed.

“When do you have to be to work?” He asks, hoping she can stay a little longer.

“My first class is at three, but I need to stop by home and make sure Amy knows I’m still alive.” She sticks her tongue out at him. “Someone has been keeping me hostage.”

He smiles at her playfulness. “You could have left anytime.”

She shakes her head adamantly. “And activate your kicked puppy face? I don’t think so.”

“My what?”

“The face you make when I’m trying to leave and you want me to stay,” she says with a shake of her head. “I bet it could make anyone talk. They should employ you for interrogations.”

Garcia takes her coffee cup from her and takes a long sip, trying to hold back his laughter.

“You’re ridiculous,” he says and gives her his best ‘please don’t leave me’ look.

Lucy smacks his arm and points at his face. “Yes, that! Right there! Stop it. I’m going home to recover.”

Garcia pulls her close and places kisses down her neck, feeling her relax against him while he shows her exactly what he thinks of that plan.

_She should move in._

He stops and pulls back, looks at her dazed face and the light marks down her neck from his stubble and feels the full force of his love slam into his chest. She must notice something because her brows furrow.

“What’s wrong?”

He needs to think, needs to take a moment to marvel at his own desires, and so he backs out of the bed with a smirk. “Nothing’s wrong, but you’re not moving very fast for someone who has to leave.”

She lets out a huff and slides out of bed, grabbing a sheet to wrap around her as she heads to the bathroom. He watches her go, his head spinning and his heart pounding. After Lorena and Iris, it didn’t seem possible for him to feel this way again, the way Lucy makes him feel.

I love her. I know she loves me. Are we ready for this?

“Garcia!” Lucy calls from the bathroom. “Do you have another bottle of conditioner?”

He moves to the bathroom, but his mind is focused on other issues, like where all her things will go and whether or not she’ll want a different color for the walls.

“Did you want to join me?” She asks, sliding the door back from the shower and wrinkling her nose at him.

He grins and strips off his clothes, bringing the new bottle of conditioner in with him and sliding the shower door back into place.

_She should move in._

~

Pulling at her dress, Lucy checks her makeup in the mirror and takes a deep breath. Rufus and Jiya are waiting in the dining room with Garcia while she tries to calm her nerves and look presentable.

_I am going to a party at Mason Industries. What is my life right now?_

A year ago, if someone had told her how strange her life would become, she would drive them to the nearest psychiatric clinic. She’s gone from stressed out teacher with a sad love life, to being in a relationship with a man so wonderful it makes her cry and getting invites to parties at Mason Industries.

Amy pushes into the room and leans against the wall with her arms crossed. “Sure I can’t talk you into putting a recording device in your purse? I’ll say whatever I find is from an anonymous source.”

Lucy turns around and shakes her head. “Jiya and Rufus will be there and they know you’re my sister. I’ll probably be thoroughly searched for that fact alone.”

Amy sighs and blows a strand of hair out of her face. “I had to try, okay? I mean, I would kill to get info on Connor Mason and his billion dollar projects.”

Giving her sister a look of complete distrust, Lucy empties her purse and checks that there isn’t a bug hidden somewhere.

“It’s like you don’t trust me.“Amy sniffs in mock sadness and leaves the room.

“It’s like I know you,” Lucy calls after her, patting her pockets as well before being satisfied that her sister didn’t bug her dress.

Putting everything back in her clutch, Lucy slips it over her wrist and heads for the dining room. Rufus and Jiya look gorgeous, dressed up for the themed party in 1930’s dancing attire, but it’s Garcia that makes her stop in her tracks and stare. He is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome in his deep brown suit and burgundy accents. She feels a little underdressed in her authentic swing dance dress.

Jiya gasps when she sees her. “Omg, you look amazing! Did you steal that from an exhibit?”

“I didn’t steal it,” Lucy says with a grin. “I may have a friend who’s letting me borrow it tonight, provided nothing gets spilled on me.”

Rushing over, Jiya spins her around, making her skirt flare out and swish around her legs. “Yes, yes, awesome. You’ll be dancing all night.”

“I’ll be hiding behind Garcia all night then,” Lucy says with a laugh. “I’ve got two left feet and zero coordination.”

Jiya laughs as Rufus steps forward and slides his arm around her waist. “We should get going, before all the food is gone.”

“It’s a Connor party, Rufus,” Jiya says, even as she lets him lead her to the door. “If the food runs out, I’ll eat your hat.”

Lucy links her arm into Garcia’s and smiles up at him. “You okay?”

He nods and leans down to whisper in her ear. “You look beautiful.”

Her blush carries her all the way to the car, a stretch limo with a driver waiting by the door.

“Wait, this is for us?” Lucy asks, her eyes widening as the driver opens the door for them.

Rufus chuckles and leads the way. “Connor likes us to arrive in style.”

The limo is big, but Garcia still has to slide down and sit on the edge of his seat so he doesn’t hit his head. Lucy finds it endearing and cuddles up next to him, watching the scenery fly by while his arm drapes around her shoulders. She feels happy, safe and content, as if nothing in the world could touch her.

They pull up to the party and wait in a line of limousines, each one stopping while fancy partygoers slip from the leather seats and into the rustic looking barn that is serving as the venue. It’s a strange juxtaposition from the gleaming black cars to the faded red slats of the building.

“Don’t let the outside fool you,”Rufus says as soon as it’s their turn to leave their car and enter the barn. “Connor feels like the world expects him to be eccentric is all.”

“It’s giving that impression,” Garcia says and Lucy pokes him in the ribs.

Walking into the barn is like stepping into another time. The clothes are exactly as Lucy thinks they would have been back in the thirties and the music of the live band fills the large space. Tables dot the floor with plenty of space for dancing and along the back wall is a fully functional kitchen.

“Wow,” Lucy says, not able to come up with a more eloquent way to say she’s impressed.

Garcia is the first to move forward, snagging them a table with a clear view of the dancing and the front door.

Lucy pats his arm. “You’re not working tonight, you know that, right?”

Giving her a bashful grin, he shrugs and pulls out a chair for her. “I know, but you’re more important than the people I work for.”

The compliment stops her in her tracks and she feels heat build in her chest at his ability to make her feel special.

“Still, it’s a party you were invited to, not hired for, so relax.” She pulls at his tie and he leans down. “Who knows, you might even be able to persuade me to dance.”

He smiles and Lucy can’t help but think he’s the most beautiful man in the world.

_I love him so much, it’s scary._

She thinks back to that moment, that one minute where she sat that the restaurant and tried not to cry at the fact that a blind date stood her up. Her career felt stagnant, her love life was in the toilet, she lived with her paranoid sister, and her world seemed to be an endless cycle of watching crappy reality TV and teaching history to people who barely paid attention.

Watching Garcia take their jackets over to the coat check attendant, she leans her elbows on the table and smiles.

“You look besotted.” Jiya’s voice cuts through her musing and Lucy looks over, her smile growing.

“I love him,” she says and she likes saying it so much that she repeats herself. “I really love him.”

“Yeah, we got that pretty much from the beginning.” Her smile is wide as she leans forward and taps Lucy’s nose. “Rufus and I simply congratulated each other on our matchmaking ability.”

“Well, my sister had a hand in it as well,” Lucy tells her as she waves Jiya’s hand away from her face.

“Yeah, yeah, and if Amy wasn’t on the list of people banned from Mason parties, we would have invited her.”

“Wait, she’s banned?” Lucy leans forward with an eager expression. “Why?”

Jiya laughs and points over to where Rufus is talking to a man in a slick pinstripe suit. “Connor caught her sneaking into last years party with a camera in her purse and a recording device in her bra. She didn’t make a good first impression.”

Laying her head on the table, Lucy groans and rolls her eyes. “That sounds like Amy.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure in a couple of years Connor will get over it and he won’t have Rufus run an electromagnetic pulse over your purse to make sure accidents don’t happen.”

Lucy rolls her head to the side so she can look up at Jiya. “Really?”

“Really,” Jiya says with a pat to her shoulder. “Connor is a bit protective of his projects.”

Garcia comes around and sits on the other side, looking at her in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Bemoaning the fact that Amy is a weirdo,” Lucy says, following her words with a sigh.

Garcia nods his head. “That makes sense.”

Rufus walks up with the smart dressed man and Lucy doesn’t try to contain her excitement as he introduces himself.

“Hello, I’m Connor Mason.” He holds out his hand for her’s and when she gives it, he gives it a light kiss. “You must be the famous Lucy.”

Garcia grabs her around the waist and she wants to kiss him for keeping her steady. “That would be me. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

“Oh don’t do that, makes me feel like I’m being shipped back home.” He gives her a beaming smile. “Call me Connor. Anyone who can convince Mr. Flynn here to work for me full time, deserves a few accolades.”

Lucy looks at Garcia with a frown. “What?”

He gives Connor a a glare. “It was going to be a surprise.”

Connor steps back. “Oh dear, and I’ve ruined it. I am so sorry.”

Garcia sighs and turns to Lucy. “I’ve got a full time job here, being Connor’s personal security. No more freelance.”

Lucy looks between the two men in shock. “What?”

“You weren’t happy with me taking the odd security job, especially with Miss Whitmore, so I agreed to be Mr. Mason’s personal guard.” Garcia smiles at her and she can see the pride in his eyes.

She stands up and walks away, unsure about the feeling in her stomach. On one hand, she’s thrilled that he listened to her and came up with a solution, but on the other hand, she feels like that controlling girlfriend who tries to make her partner change for her.

_Did I give that impression? Does he think that I want a say in everything he does?_

She feels like crying and it’s only the soft press of Garcia’s hand against her back that keeps the tears at bay.

“What did I do?”

She hates that he asks that question, like she could dictate his actions.

“You didn’t do anything, I’m the one who should apologize.” She turns around and wraps her arms around him. “If I did or said anything to make you feel like you had to change, I’m sorry.”

His face wrinkles like he’s confused. “I don’t understand.”

“You went from a freelance security guard to a full time position at Mason Industries and I can’t help but think that you did it because of me.” She feels close to tears.

Garcia pulls her into his arms and wraps her up tight. “Lucy, Lucy, it’s okay. I’d been thinking about a full time position for a while, especially with Rufus and Connor asking. You’re concern about Miss Whitmore was simply a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture.”

“I’m sorry,” Lucy whispers against his chest. “I don’t want you to change your life just for me, okay? Please?”

“I know,” Garcia says, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Honey, calm down. I’m doing this for me, alright?”

“I just, I don’t want to be that person, that makes someone else give up what they love,” Lucy says, her heart still racing. “I want you happy, that’s all.”

“I’ll be happy working for Mason, I promise.” Garcia takes her hand and holds it to his cheek. “And it’s not a bad thing to take your significant other’s needs into consideration.”

Lucy clings to him, her mind racing and her skin on fire. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“You’re completely yourself,” Garcia says with a smile, placing a kiss on her forehead and gazing into her eyes. “Please, I wanted to surprise you with the news, so I’m sorry that you found out like that.”

“I don’t know what to think,” Lucy tells him, still a little apprehensive about the news. “Are you sure this isn’t just because of our fight?”

“I have been in talks with Connor Mason for weeks now, so it isn’t because of our fight,” Garcia says with a small smile. “The fight only made it clear to me that I was making the right decision.”

Looking up at him, Lucy sees honesty and adoration shining from his eyes and she never wants to see that look disappear.

“I love you,” she says, bringing his head down for a kiss while the music picks up behind them.

~

He folds her into his arms and deepens the kiss and Garcia can’t help that the rest of the world fades away. She fits into his life in a way he never thought would be possible after his wife.

“You two going to make out all night?”

Breaking the kiss, Lucy looks over at Rufus and Garcia can feel her annoyance. “Go away.”

“Sure, I’ll just tell Martin from HR that he can totally steal your chairs then,” Rufus says and turns back to the party.

Garcia laughs and steps back, straightening his tie. “We’re coming back, thanks.”

Lucy wrinkles her face at him but he taps her on the nose to make her smile and all is forgiven. She smoothes out her skirt and follows him back to their chairs. An attendant is standing by the table when they return, taking their drink order and handing out menus, and Garcia wonders exactly how many people it takes to pull this kind of function together.

Looking over at Connor, he sees his new official boss deep in conversation with Anthony Bruhl, a department head for Mason Industries and another Amy contact. Anthony looks nervous, eyes darting around the room as he talks, but Connor seems oblivious.

Standing up, he puts a hand on Lucy’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

He walks quietly and quickly to Anthony’s side, putting an arm around the man while he smiles at Connor. “Could I steal Anthony for just a moment?”

Connor’s looks confused, but agrees, waving them away and turning to the next group of people vying for his attention.

Garcia pulls Anthony to the wall and pats him down, finding the small recording device in the small inner pocket of his jacket.

“What exactly did Amy promise to get you to go through with this?” Garcia asks as he dangles the recording device in front of Anthony’s face. “Because you are very bad at it.”

Anthony deflates. “I know, but she’s got this whole speech and the puppy eyes and she reminds me of my daughter.” The man looks down at the floor. “Are you going to tell Connor?”

Garcia looks at the recording device, then back at Anthony. “I’m not technically on the clock right now, so no.” He hold up the device again. “I’m taking this though.”

Anthony nods and holds up his hands. “All yours, thank you.”

Letting him go, Garcia steps back and lets Anthony slip past him with a small pat on his back. Connor seems oblivious to the exchange and Garcia is content to leave the matter alone. Dismantling the device and crushing the microphone, Garcia tucks the device into his front pocket and heads back to Lucy.

“What was that about?” She asks when he returns.

“Oh, nothing, I’ll tell you later.” He kisses her hand as he sits back down. “Did we order food yet?”

Lucy nods as her eyes shift to where Anthony and Connor are talking again. “I got you the steak and rice.”

He chuckles and wraps his arms around her. “Thank you, love.” Watching her smile and blush and lean against him, Garcia wants to keep her safe and protected forever.

_She’s my world._

Giving her forehead a kiss, Garcia lets himself relax into the party. Food arrives, more drinks appear, and the conversation flows from topics like the newest sci-fi show that Rufus and Jiya are watching, to the hijinks of Mitzi (now under the name, Leyla). The sense of belonging, of family, feels wonderful and scary to Garcia and he keeps glancing at Lucy to remind himself that he’s not dreaming, that this is his reality. As Rufus and Jiya get up to dance, Garcia uses the opportunity to shuffle closer to Lucy and focus her attention on only him.

“I have a question for you,” he starts, grasping her hands and running his thumbs along her smooth skin. “I know we’ve been taking things slow, as slow as we can stand at least, but, um, I’ve gotten tired of having to say goodbye to you.”

Her face scrunches up in confusion and he hurries to explain. “I mean, I hate that you live somewhere else, that your clothes are in a separate closet, that sometimes you aren’t sleeping next to me, but miles away.”

“What are you saying?” Lucy asks, her eyes bright and her lips pursed as if she’s trying not to smile.

“Move in with me.” He looks down at the floor, unable to maintain eye contact while he asks for this, the next step in their relationship. “I have plenty of space, it’s a few miles closer to your work, and you could wake up next to me every morning.”

She tightens her grip on his hands and he looks up to see her smiling and crying. He dares to hope that the tears are a good thing, but he doesn’t want to try and guess what she’s feeling.

“Why are you crying?” He asks, releasing her hands so he can wipe away the tears as his hand cups her cheek.

“I’m happy, that’s why,” she says holding his hand to her cheek as she kisses his palm. “Of course I’ll move in with you, you ridiculous man.”

“I’m ridiculous?”

“Yes, and I love you for it,” she says, bringing his face in for a kiss.

He pulls away and can feel the strain in his face from all the smiling, but he can’t make himself stop. “Dance with me?”

“You might change your mind about the moving in if I do that.”

“Not a chance,” he grabs her hand and pulls her out of the chair. “One dance, dessert, and then we can go tell your sister the news.”

“Tonight?” She asks, letting him take her arm and lead her to the dance floor. “Can’t it wait till morning?”

He shakes his head and grins. “I have to give something back to her and I don’t want to wait.” Picking her up, he spins her in a circle and Lucy giggles at the display.

“Ridiculous man,” she says when he puts her back down and he shrugs.

“Only around you.”

The music slows down and Garcia basks in the feeling of Lucy leaning against his chest as they sway on the dance floor to the sound of Bing Crosby crooning. After the one dance, Lucy holding him to his promise, they return to the table and tell Rufus and Jiya the good news. It’s toasts and champagne and an atmosphere of so much love that Garcia feels his chest tighten and the threat of tears behind his eyes.

_Imagine asking her to marry you._

He doesn’t want to move too fast and scare her, but Garcia already sees himself with Lucy for the rest of his life and he can’t imagine any other ending then with her, by her side, no matter what may happen. He scares himself with the force of love in his heart and sometimes he has to stop himself from panicking at all the ways he could lose her.

_Patience. She loves you._

She feels like home, like safety and love and all the things he never thought he’d have another chance to experience. If it takes a few years before she’s ready for the next big step, he’s more than happy to wait. She’s worth the time.

 


	5. Bonus Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Garcia get a few more changes thrown their way, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said the last chapter was THE LAST but then birthdays happened and I was inspired.  
> Happy belated birthday [Nyxierose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyxierose/pseuds/Nyxierose)!!  
> Beta'd by [Tsuuriki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsuuriki/pseuds/Tsuuriki) (THANK YOU!)
> 
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As much as she loves her job, all Lucy wants is a weeks vacation where she spends all her time in her house with her family, and not on a crowded plane with apathetic strangers. The sound of Garcia’s low voice draws her from the kitchen and into the back bedroom. Walking into the room, Lucy pauses at the sight of her husband sitting on the floor with their son wrapped in his zebra-striped blanket and wriggling. She leans against the door, soaking in the sight of the loves of her life getting ready for bed. Luke is almost four years old, loves zoo animals, hates bedtime, and thinks his father is a superhero. Lucy doesn’t hear the beginning of their discussion, but as she listens to Garcia talk, she smiles and shakes her head.

“But she’s mama!” Luke looks astonished. “You said no?”

“Hush, or we won’t get to the end of the story,” Garcia says, wrapping the blanket more firmly around Luke and kisses his head. He looks up to Lucy in the doorway and gives her that smile that makes her brain turn to mush.

She loves this story.

“Mama asked and I said no,” Garcia continues, Luke hanging on every word.

  
***Five Years Ago***

  
Amy makes a joke about it at first, a one-off comment about Lucy needing to put a ring on it before another Emma Whitmore shows up.

“He’s not like that, you know this,” Lucy says as stares at her sister over her iced coffee.

Amy grins and slurps at her own drink, some coffee and chocolate shake combo that Lucy is too disgusted by to try. “I know you moved in three months ago and I haven’t had one night of you storming to my house saying how irritating he is.”

Lucy huffs and sits back in her chair. “Well, he’s not irritating.” She gives a little smirk. “Even his snoring is kind of cute.”

Amy makes a gagging face and puts down her drink. “You’re disgustingly in love. I think you should go for it.” Wiggling her eyebrows, Amy asks. “You scared?”

Lucy tilts her head. “Duh. It’s not like I exactly have the best track record and Garcia is so wonderful that I keep thinking I’m going to wake up in a psych ward somewhere, in a white straitjacket, and lots of doctors recording my hallucinations.”

“You are so weird.” Amy sucks out the last of her sugary sweet coffee and stands up. “All I’m saying is that it’s probably going to need to be you.”

“And I’m saying we’re happy where we are.” Lucy stands up and throws her empty cup into a nearby garbage can. “Can we please stop talking about this?”

“Fine,” Amy says with a sigh. “Has he asked you to do anything weird yet?”

Lucy slaps her on the arm. “I am not discussing my sex life with you now, or ever.”

Amy laughs and throws her arm around Lucy’s shoulders. “That’s not a no.”

“We have a perfectly healthy sex life and I’m extremely satisfied,” Lucy says, crossing her arms and glaring at her sister. “That’s all you get, okay?

“Hey, with Jeremy gone, all I have left of a sex life is to live one vicariously through you.” Amy wiggles her eyebrows with a grin.

Lucy wraps her arm around Amy’s waist as they make their way back to the car. “It would help if you didn’t attract crazy.”

“Crazy can be fun, Luce.” Amy stops and gestures to herself. “Look at me!”

“Oh, I am,” Lucy says, earning her a slap on her own arm. “You gotta figure out how to find crazy, yet stable.”

Groaning, Amy throws herself into the passenger's seat and Lucy prays for patience.

_I love my sister. I love my sister._

Lucy thinks about that conversation as she’s getting ready for bed. It’s not hard to imagine marrying Garcia. He’s funny and weird and the most stable man she’s ever met. She closes her eyes and pictures him standing at the end of a long aisle, wearing a tuxedo better than James Bond, with Rufus and Connor at his side. She has Jiya and Amy on her side, walking in front of her, and there are ribbons everywhere.

_Would he be nervous?_

“Lucy, you going to sleep in there?”

She jumps at the sound of his voice. “Sorry, be right out.” She finishes brushing her teeth and comes back into the bedroom with a smile.

“You okay?” He looks worried, but also like he’s trying to hide that he’s worried.

“I’m fine, must have been spacing out,” she answers, running her hands over his forehead to smooth out his wrinkles. “Worrywart.”

Garcia wrinkles his nose and grabs her by the waist, throwing her over to the other side of the bed. Lucy shrieks and laughs and swats at his arm while he looks down at her with a smirk. She adores that he’s playful in bed, as ready to tickle her as he is to kiss her senseless. Wanting him is as easy as breathing.

***********

*One Week Later*

His alarm goes off at five am and he gives Lucy a quick glance before rolling out of bed and working his way through his morning routine. He dresses quickly and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge, drinking half of it and sneaking into the bedroom to leave the other half for Lucy when she wakes up. She’s rolled over to his side of the bed and her face is buried in his pillow. Garcia smiles and places a small kiss on her forehead before leaving the apartment.

“I hate you,” Jiya says as he meets her in the hall.

Garcia laughs and heads down the stairs, taking two at a time as Jiya follows after him. “It’s not like I’m forcing you to come.”

“I know, but it’s early and I get to be illogical without coffee.” Jiya is a bit slower getting down the stairs and Garcia stretches on the wall as he waits for her. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

“You asked for this,” Garcia says without mercy as he takes off down the street, his long legs outpacing Jiya as she starts off at a much slower speed.

Running his circuit around the park near their apartment, Garcia catches up with Jiya and slows down, keeping in step with her while she finishes the loop.

“Not so bad, right?” He asks as Jiya glares at him.

“Can’t, talk,” Jiya says with a breath between each word.

Garcia shakes his head and runs the rest of the path in silence. She’s huffing and grimacing, but he admires her tenacity, the way she sets her mind to something and then doesn’t back down. She finishes her run and throws herself in the grass.

“Good job,” Garcia says, sitting down beside her. “I’d bet most people don’t do the whole thing their first time.”

Jiya gives him a thumbs up and groans, sitting up and stretching out her legs. “It’s not that I’ve never exercised before. It’s just that I’m more of a yoga person.”

“So, why run with me?” Garcia asks, looking over at her as he does his own stretch routine.

She laughs as she reaches out to touch her toes. “Maybe I like the torture.” She looks at him and smiles. “Rufus and I were talking about getting more exercise and I suggested running with you.”

Garcia huffs and stands up. “Then where’s Rufus?”

“He said he’d rather puke in a gym than run with the Croatian version of the Terminator.”

There’s a moment of silence and then Garcia bursts out laughing.

Jiya’s eyes twinkle with laughter. “I said he’d be fine, he said even I’d quit, which means that I can’t let him be right.”

Holding out a hand, Garcia helps Jiya to her feet. “I still won’t go easy on you.”

Jiya looks back at the terrain path and nods. “I got that, yeah.”

Pushing her forward, he slaps her shoulder with a grin. “Home then!”

The pace is still slower than Garcia normally goes, but they jog together the rest of the way home and while she whines the whole way up the stairs, she still follows him down and back up again. They lean against the wall, breathing hard and sweating and Garcia gives her arm a tap.

“Tomorrow will be worse,” he says with a smile. “You’ll be hurting from today.”

“Don’t I know it.” She sinks down to the floor and closes her eyes.

The door to her apartment opens and Rufus steps out with a bottle of water, handing it to Jiya who sighs.

“You’re an angel,” she says before twisting off the cap and gulping down the water.

“So, how was it?” Rufus stands in the doorway with his arms crossed, smiling at Jiya.

“It was fine. I’m fine.” Jiya grunts and makes it to her feet, though Garcia hovered behind her to make sure she didn’t fall over. “See ya tomorrow, Flynn.”

“Hasta La Vista, baby,” Garcia says with a sly grin.

Jiya stumbles into the wall as she bursts out laughing and Rufus looks mortified and Garcia mentally pats himself on the back as he disappears into his apartment. Lucy is sitting at the table, drinking tea as she reads the paper. Her hair is up in a simple twist and she’s wearing his blue robe.

_God, she’s beautiful._

The laughing from the hallway gets her attention because she looks over with concern. “What’s up?”

“Oh, just Rufus being, Rufus.” Garcia walks over and kisses her forehead while she tries to push him away before he drips sweat everywhere.

“Shower before smooches,” she says, pointing to the bathroom.

“What if I want a kiss right now?” He gives her his best pleading face.

Leaning forward, she motions him to come closer. Just before their lips touch, she puts a finger to his mouth. “No.”

Putting his hands up in surrender, Garcia winks and heads to the bathroom, not fighting the urge to smile like an idiot.

********

Exhaling in a huff, Lucy drops her paper on the table and puts her head in her hands.

_What am I going to do?_

She admits that they hadn’t been as careful as they could have been, but they also have not had this talk. Putting her hands on her belly, Lucy feels like she’s going to throw up.

Racing to the sink, she pukes up her breakfast and what feels like every meal she’s eaten this week. She drags her hand across her mouth and grimaces. Turning the water on, she rinses away the evidence and fills a glass. She makes it back to her seat and drinks her water as she listens to Garcia get dressed for work.

_He’s had a kid before. What if he doesn’t want to go through this again?_

It’s agony to sit in silence so Lucy finishes her water and heads to the bedroom. Garcia sits on the edge of the bed, slipping on his socks.

“You alright?” He asks with a frown.

“Of course, why?”

“I thought you might have been sick.” His eyes are boring into her and she doesn’t know what to say.

“Um, something last night must not have agreed with me,” Lucy says, at last, running her hands through his hair. “Why did we trust someplace called Pete’s Palace?”

“They were open and you wanted, and I quote, ‘something as close to pizza rolls as we can find’.” Garcia blinks at her with a soft smile and Lucy resists the urge to crawl into his lap and tell him everything.

“Well, obviously they were not close to pizza rolls,” Lucy says as she walks to the bathroom to brush her teeth. “Pizza rolls don’t make me throw up.”

“I still can’t believe you brought them into our house.”

She can’t see him, but she imagines him rolling his eyes. “Don’t diss my pizza rolls. They are a bonding point with Rufus.”

“And what about the pop tarts?”

“Pop tarts are a delicious start to any day.” She loves this argument that’s not really an argument. He bemoans her awful taste in food but never throws any of it away, not even when she bought Cookie Crisp cereal instead of his regular Cheerios.

_He’s patient and wonderful. I should just tell him._

Finishing up in the bathroom, she changes into her day off attire, leggings and one of Garcia’s many sweaters, and finds him in the kitchen, pouring milk into a bowl of cereal while reading her discarded paper. She walks up behind him and wraps her arms around his neck.

“I love you,” she says, placing gentle kisses on his ear.

He hums and pats her arm. “I love you too.”

He doesn’t stop reading or eating and the moment of bravery passes in silence. She grabs her own breakfast of yogurt and a granola bar and moves to the living room. Looking back at him, outlined in the early sunlight as he goes about his day, Lucy feels tears gather in her eyes and hurries to the couch before she lets them fall while he can see them

_This will mess everything up._

She sits and eats her food and thinks about her options and she’s debating calling Amy and spilling the whole story when a shadow falls over her. Looking up, she smiles at Garcia as she rubs her stomach.

“It’s still tender,” she says with a sniff. “Thank God I have the day off.”

Kneeling down, Garcia leans forward and plants a kiss to her stomach, sending shivers down Lucy’s spine.

“I’ll be back by six. If you’re still not feeling well, let me know and I’ll grab whatever you need.” His hand rubs against her back and Lucy wants to throw up again, but not from morning sickness this time.

She hates that this feels like deception, but until she knows what she wants to do, she can’t force the words from her throat.

“Call or text before you head home and I’ll let you know,” she says instead, patting his cheek.

He leaves and she doesn’t wait to call Amy, her heart pounding.

“Hey, what’s up?” Amy says, the phone picking up the faint strains of music in the background.

“Can you come over? Now?” Lucy is panicking and she is certain her sister can hear it in her voice.

“Yeah, yeah. What’s wrong?”

“I’ll tell you when you get here.”

They say goodbye and Lucy hangs up the phone and bursts into tears.

Fifteen minutes later, Amy knocks on the door and Lucy drags herself off the couch to unlock it and let her in.

“What’s wrong?” Amy asks as soon as she sees Lucy’s face.

Lucy shakes her head and falls back onto the couch. “I messed up.”

Dropping onto the couch beside her, Amy gathers Lucy up in her arms. “Did you have a fight?”

Lucy feels her throat tighten with the threat of more tears. “No, we had a great morning.” She catches her breath and looks at Amy. “I’m pregnant.”

*******

“Is she feeling better?” Rufus asks as Garcia logs off his computer and packs up his bag.

Frowning at his phone, Garcia nods. “Seems to be. She’s told me to just come home.”

Rufus snorts and turns back to his monitor. “At least she’s better. Jiya went home an hour ago because she could barely climb the stairs.”

“I didn’t force her to come run with me,” Garcia says, leaning against Rufus’ desk and looking down at him. “I believe that was you saying something like ‘even you’d quit after one day with the Croatian Terminator.”

“I stick by the nickname,” Rufus says, smirking up at Garcia. “You’re scary when you’re moving at top speed.”

“I’ll try to remember that.” Clapping Rufus on the back, he stands up and stretches. “Don’t stay too long.”

“Just got a small bit of code left.” He gives Garcia a wave. “Get home and take care of your wife.”

Garcia stops and looks at him. “We’re not married.”

Giving him a stare that clearly states the word ‘duh’, Rufus shakes his head. “Yeah, figured I would have at least warranted an invite.” He goes back to his computer. “So, why aren’t you married?”

“Why aren’t you and Jiya?”

“Because marriage is an antiquated ritual designed to trade a woman from one man to the next and Jiya won’t give into peer pressure by bowing to societal rules.” It sounds like something Rufus has heard before.

Garcia blinks. “Okay.”

“Lucy is old fashioned though,” Rufus says quickly. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Garcia shrugs his bag further up his shoulder and looks at the floor. “I’ve thought about asking her since the Mason party. Just haven’t figured out how yet.”

Rufus gasps and spins around., looking at him for a moment in silence. “Wow, you’re not kidding.”

“Why would I kid about something like this?”

“No, of course, you wouldn’t.” Rufus crosses his arms as he sits back in his chair. “So, what’s holding you back?”

Garcia runs a hand over his face and looks at the wall. “Fear. She scares me more than any threat to national security.”

Rufus nods. “Well, that’s adorable, but not insurmountable. I mean, you know she’s gonna say yes.”

“Do I?” Garcia asks. “Do I know for certain?”

“Dude, she looks at you like you’re Han Solo and she’s Princess Leia and trust me, you look at her the same way.”

“Like she’s Han Solo and I’m Princess Leia?” Garcia asks, biting his cheek to keep his smile in check.

Throwing him an exasperated face, Rufus says, “Sure, whatever.”

Garcia’s phone buzzes and he looks down to see that it’s almost six. There’s a text from Lucy and two from Jiya. Lucy is asking where he is and Jiya is inventing new cuss words to tell him how much she hurts.

“I need to go.” He gives Rufus a smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder and rushes out the door.

“Be Han Solo!” Rufus yells after him.

Garcia races home and is only three minutes late. He considers it a win and walks in the apartment to see Lucy curled on the couch in front of the TV.

“Hey,” he says, keeping his voice soft. “How are you feeling?”

She barely looks at him but motions him forward. A pit of worry builds in his chest. Grabbing his hand, Lucy places it on her stomach and looks at him with wide terrified eyes and it’s as if he reads her mind seconds before she speaks.

“I’m pregnant.”

The words hang like the blade of a guillotine, poised and ready to dismember at the slightest movement. Garcia can feel the panic coursing through him as Lucy looks ready to cry and swallows down the urge to jump up and pace. Instead, with careful movements, he puts his hand on her cheek and strokes her skin.

“Are you sure?” He asks, wincing as she gives him a look of complete disbelief. “Okay, okay. Dumb question.” He keeps touching her, bring her close so that he can hang on to reality. “What do you want to do?”

He feels Lucy swallow hard and looks away to give her a moment.

“I don’t know,” Lucy says at last. “It’s not really the situation I was hoping to be in at this point in my life.”

He keeps his voice even, trying to avoid all emotion and stick with the facts. “So, does that mean you don’t want it right now?”

Lucy shrugs and burrows deeper into the blankets. “It feels like it’s not happening.”

Gathering her up in the blankets, Garcia shifts her until she’s leaning against his shoulder. “I love you.”

She nods and whispers. “I love you too.”

“You don’t have to decide right now,” he tells her, placing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Go slow if you need to.”

Her voice is so quiet that at first, he can’t make out what she’s saying. “What is it?”

She raises her head and tears are streaming down her face. “I want, I want it, but I don’t want to lose you.”

He stares in stunned silence, his heart thudding in his chest while she cries. He hates seeing her cry, especially when the person who’s to blame is himself.

_No, Lucy, don’t cry._

“You’re not going to lose me, okay?” He says, trying to coat every word with how much he loves her, wrapping his arms tight as he talks. “I’d be here regardless of your decision, alright?” He rubs her back and kisses her cheek. “What do I need to say to make you believe me?”

Lucy pulls back and takes a breath. “Marry me.”

It’s the second shock to his system today and he’s grateful that his family doesn’t have a history of heart attacks. He wants to say yes, that nothing would make him happier, that he’ll be hers forever.

“Oh, Lucy,” he says with a sigh. “I can’t say yes, not like this.”

She frowns and sits up. “Why not?”

“Because I just found out you’re pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.” The words sound surreal as he says them and he can’t stop his smile. “Let’s do one big life thing at a time, alright?”

She stares at him for a moment and then collapses back on the couch, her hand over her face. “Sorry, it just seemed like the thing to ask.”

“It’s okay.” He pulls her hand away and kisses the bridge of her nose. “You’ll have to trust me when I say that I’m not leaving.”

“We’re having a baby, Garcia,” Lucy says with a small smile.

He stands and picks her up off the couch, wrapping her legs around his waist as he hugs her tight. “We’re having a baby.”

He feels like he could fly.

  
***************

  
“That’s why daddy said ‘no’. We had to get ready for you.” Garcia pulls reaches over to the nightstand and picks up a photo. “Once we had you, I asked mommy to marry me and she said ‘no’ because she likes to be contradictory at times.”

Lucy hides a smile behind her hand and makes her way into the room. “I needed to make sure things were even with us.”

Garcia looks at her with soft eyes and she can’t stand another minute of not touching him. Sinking down to the floor, she sits next to her husband and Luke crawls into her lap.

“Once we were even, I asked again and she said yes.” Garcia brandishes the photo, a shot from their wedding with Rufus, Jiya, Connor, and Amy circling them with happy smiling faces.

“Will Uncle Rufus and Aunt Jiya ever get married?”

Garcia laughs. “Maybe, but probably not.”

Lucy tickles his sides. “People don’t have to get married, you know.”

“I know, but I want cake.”

Garcia groans and stands up, holding out his arms for Luke. “Come on, into bed with you, mališa. Don’t let your mother teach you bad habits.”

Luke giggles and lets his dad put him to bed while Lucy watches from the floor with fond amusement. She loves her boys, the messes they make in the garage, the way Luke tries to walk like Garcia, not quite managing that level of confident swagger at four years old. She’s confident now, in her family as well as herself, and she’s glad she can soak up these little moments.

“Good night, sweetheart.” Lucy stands up and kisses Luke’s forehead. “Sleep tight.”

“Good night, my vučić,” Garcia says, tucking the blankets tighter around Luke and kissing his cheek.

Lucy grabs Garcia’s hand, flicking off the light as they leave Luke to sleep.

“Think we could handle another one?” She asks as they enter their bedroom.

The look of shock on Garcia’s face is enough to make her giggle. “It’s not like Luke was planned, why would this one be any different?”

Garcia scoops her up and deposits her on the bed, kissing her stomach and making her skin tingle with each brush of his lips.

“I take it you’re okay with this?” Lucy asks, running her hands through his hair, the sprinkling of silver throughout the dark strands sparkling as they catch the light.

Grinning up at her, he nods and she pulls him up to kiss him properly. She gets lost in his touch and is ready to keep the celebration going, no matter how tired she is from her flight.

He breaks away from the kiss with a gasp. “We’re going to need a bigger house. We don’t have a spare bedroom.”

Lucy laughs and pulls him back. “One big thing at a time, remember?” She kisses along his nose, leaving the last kiss between his eyebrows.

“I remember,” he says, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight.

She’s safe and secure in his arms and in his heart and Lucy holds him just as fiercely.

“I love you.”

“Volim te.”

She’s sure, after all these years, neither of them is willing to let go. This is forever.

 


End file.
